Retail sales of consumer products have increased dramatically over the last few decades, with only temporary declines during periods of recession. At the same time the life cycle of some products is expanding. In addition, many products incorporate more complex technology than ever before. From TV remotes and alarm clocks, to the most sophisticated washing machines and microwave ovens, user manuals are often inadequate and/or difficult to use; and for many products, a user manual is no longer even provided.
As a result, the product support needs of consumers have expanded along with the growth in retail sales. Needs range from maintenance and repair to education on how to use the product, to the need to be informed in real-time when there is a product recall, even if the product was purchased as a used item. When product support needs are not met, consumers may return a product unnecessarily. This results in not only lost sales for the product manufacturer and retailer, but many returned products cannot be resold, and the cost of recycling their parts is prohibitive. As a result, these products are dumped into a landfill, which hurts the environment.
A number of different types of consumer product support services have proliferated to meet the ever-growing needs of consumers, especially with the ubiquitous availability of web-based services and social media. These range from conventional customer support provided by the product manufacturer and/or retailer via telephone, interactive websites and chat sessions, to an assortment of self-help styled forums that provide less formal support based on collective and/or expert user experience with products. In each of these cases, the consumer must access a keyboard to enter search criteria such as the product name, serial number, or model number for a particular product. This can be burdensome to the user, particularly when using a mobile device client.
Because a typical consumer is likely to acquire products from several different manufacturers or retailers, locating and using consumer product support services offered in so many different ways from so many different sources can be daunting. Relying on web searches to find information or interacting with customer support representatives can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially when using mobile devices.
In addition, a typical consumer owns an increasingly large number of items over the course of their lifetime. Some items have a warranty period, and some items are covered by property insurance. Other items are part of a growing collection, such as a wine collection, or an art collection, or a clothing collection. As the number of such items grows, the consumer is burdened with an increased responsibility to keep track of their items.
When items need to be maintained or repaired, consumers must either find or purchase the correct parts and tools, and perform the necessary maintenance or repair, or find and retain the appropriate servicer to perform the needed work.